Air lift engager apparatus



y 1954 w. E. KILPATRICK 2,677,579

AIR LIFT ENGAGER APPARATUS Filed July 31, 1951 ATTORNEYS Patented May 4, 1954 OFFICE AIR LIFT ENGAGER APPARATUS Walter E. Kilpatrick, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 31, 1951, Serial No. 239,442

2 Claims. (01. 302-57) This invention relates to a system and apparatus for moving pneumatically granular or pelleted contact material or catalyst from a lower receptacle which receives the material in a continuous stream upwardly into and through an elongate conduit to an upper receptacle. In particular the invention is directed to apparatus for supplying gas or air to th material in the lower receptacle in order to convey it therefrom to and through the elongate conduit in such a manner as to reduce attrition of the material particles or pellets to a minimum during its passage to the upper receptacle.

It is well known in the art of catalysis, such as the cracking of heavier petroleum fractions to gasoline and other hydrocarbon processing operations, to use a catalyst or contact material in a continuous system. In such continuous systems a conversion zone is operated simultaneously with a second zone which is in regeneration. Most commercial moving or continuous catalyst systems have the conversion zone and regeneration zone in superposed relationship with the conversion zone usually above the regeneration zone so that the catalyst or contact material moves through the conversion zone to the regeneration zone by gravity and after regeneration it is carried upwardly and returned to the conversion zone to repeat the cycle of operation. To return the catalyst or contact material from the lower regenerating zone to the upper conversion zone two well known means applicable to the transportation of granular solids from one locus to another have been used, namely: by mechanical conveyor and by pneumatic conveyors, in the latter of which air, steam or flue gas produced at the refinery is readily available as the pneumatic lifting medium.

It is necessary in systems employing conversion and regeneration zones in superposed relationship to convey the catalyst or contact material through a conduit several hundred feet in length in order to return it from the lower reaction zone to the upper reaction zone. From the lower reaction zone the material is delivered by gravity to a receptacle positioned at a level below that of the lower zone, from which receptacle it is nec essary to effect or begin the lifting or upward conveyin operation. In a pneumatic lifting system this lowermost receptacle is generally known in the art as an engager since the material is engaged therein by the lifting flue gas or air'to effect the lifting operation. The lower end of the air lift conduit extends into or is in communication with the engager receptacle while the up- Der end of the lift conduit communicates with an upper receptacle positioned at a level above the top of the upper reaction zone or chamber. The upper receptacle is designed so that the lifting medium is separated from the catalyst or contact material and is generally known as the disengager.

The present invention involves an arrangement for engaging material to introduce it to the lower inlet end of the elevating conduit and maintaining it in a continuous stream through the conduit for passage to the disengager in a manner to reduce attrition of the material to a minimum.

A complete understanding of the present in vention may be had by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of the application in which: 7

Figure 1 is an elevational view for schematically showing a typical catalytic crackin system employing a pneumatic lift for elevating pelleted catalyst or contact material.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in sectional elevation showing the invention as applied to the engager portion of the system.

Figure 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig- Life 2.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, which shows diagrammatically the conventional elements of a continuous system, a lower receptacle or chamber 10 functions as a catalyst engaging zone, that is, a zone wherein the catalyst is engaged by the air, flue gas or steam supplied thereto by suitable means. The lift pipe or elevating conduit is indicated at H and has its lower end communicating with the chamber It and its upper end communicating with an upper chamber l2 which is the disengaging chamber or zone wherein the material is disengaged from the air or other elevating medium. The lifting medium is discharged from the upper chamber I 2 through a conduit [3 and is passed to any conventional separating means such as a cyclone separator l4 having an upper conduit IS in communication therewith to remove the lifting medium and a lower conduit It for removing any fines which become entrained in the lifting medium.

The catalyst which remains in the disengager I2 is returned through conduit H by gravity to an upper reaction chamber [8 wherein usually an on-stream reaction is effected to obtain the desired product and continues to flow therefrom through conduit l9 by gravity into a lower reaction chamber 20 wherein the catalyst or contact material is regenerated to remove any deposits which might have been formed on the catalyst in the upper chamber 18. From the lower chamber 20 the catalyst or contact material continues to flow !by gravity through conduit 2| and is returned to the engaging chamber Ill. The conduits I1, l9, and 2| through which the catalyst or contact material flows in returning from the disengager l2 to the engager H] are usually provided with means for supplying steam or other gaseous purging medium thereto in order to prevent reaction products formed in chamber 18 and regeneration fumes formed in chamber 20 from communicating with the other chambers in the unit.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the engager It may be of any desired construction to provide a closed chamber which is modified by a system of conduits used in effecting the present invention. As indicated, the elevating conduit H has its lower end 30 extending into the engager to b positioned Within the body of contact 'material C which is supplied to the engager H) by conduit 2| as explained in connection with Figure 1.

The lower end 30 of elevating conduit H is provided with a plurality of laterally extending conduits 3| which are joined to the conduit H by the upper upturned portions 32 to be in communication with the elevating conduit. The outer ends 33 of the lateral conduits are arranged to receive a conveying fluid and to this end are placed in communication with a manifold 35. In addition the lateral conduits are apertured at 34 to receive contact material C from the engager l continuously. The conveying or lifting fluid is supplied to the manifold 35 from a source through a supply conduit 36.

As the contact material passes continuously through the openings 34 into each of the lateral conduits 3| from the engager l0, fluid is supplied to the manifold 35 by conduit 36 and the contact material is conveyed through the lateral conduits 3| to zone s at the lower end of elevating conduit l l. Simultaneously therewith an independent source of fluid is admitted to the zone S, at the lower end of the elevating conduit H, through an independent fluid supply conduit 31 which extends upwardly through the bottom of the engager l0 and has its inner end 38 positioned adjacent the lower end of the zone S and is secured to the lower upturned portions 32a of the conduits 3| to pick up the contact material as it is directed to the zone S and elevate it through the conduit I I to the disengager I2.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for elevating contact material from a lower vessel containing a body of the material to an upper vessel which comprises an elevating conduit having its lower inlet end extending into the lower vessel, a plurality of conduits extending laterally of the vessel and having their inner ends in communication with the elevating conduit adjacent its lower end and their outer ends in communication with a fluid manifold, said conduits being apertured to receive contact material continuously from the lower vessel, means for supplying a fluid medium to said manifold to convey the contact material through the conduits to the inlet end of the elevating conduit and a single vertical conduit having its upper-end aligned with the elevating conduit and positioned adjacent the inner ends of each of said plurality of conduits for supplying a single stream of fluid upwardly to direct the contact material from all of the laterally extending conduits through the elevating conduit to the upper vessel.

2. Apparatus for elevating contact material from a lower vessel containing a body of the material to an upper vessel which comprises an elevating conduit having its lower inlet end extending into the lower vessel, a plurality of lateral conduits having their inner ends connected to the elevating conduit at its lower end, said lateral conduits being apertured for admitting thereto contact material from the lower vessel, means for directing a fluid medium to each of said conduits to convey the contact material from the conduits toward the inlet end of the elevating conduit, a vertical conduit having its upper end aligned with the elevating conduit and positioned adjacent the inner end of each of said lateral conduits for supplying a stream of fluid upwardly to direct the contact material through the elevating conduit to the upper vessel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 299,270 Sachs May 27, 1884 655,305 Mudel Aug. 7, 1900 1,390,974 Von Porat Sept. 13, 1921 1,749,817 Hermsdorf Mar. 11, 1930 

